Snow Falls, My Lonely Heart Calls
by Magical Mistress Sarai
Summary: -Studio 69 Fic- It's been a year since the tragedy struck, and the people of Studio 69 are discovering that there are still pieces to be picked up. Sasuke is forced to reevaluate his priorities as he feels Naruto slipping farther and farther away from him. -angst, drama, yaoi, minor lang-


**Surprise! I have been planning this little secret for awhile now, but this is the continuation of my Studio 69 series of one-shots. I don't know if anyone still remembers Neon Lights, Sticky Sweets, or Red Ribbons, but here is the fourth one-shot in that universe. Hopefully you all enjoy this Christmas miracle! :) **

**This story is a gift for my dear reader, Partying'Through'Pain. Merry Christmas to you, and thank you for inspiring me to write this!**

**If you haven't read the previous one-shots I highly recommend it, but it is not necessary. All of these one-shots are self-contained stories for your enjoyment, but they are chronological, so there may be references to the previous entries.**

**Warnings: angst, yaoi, boys kissing, minor language**

* * *

**Snow Falls, My Lonely Heart Calls**

Studio 69 was as busy as it had always been.

The dance floor was packed, the bars were bustling, the theater was full of patrons watching the latest up and coming drag performers. The world may be talking about economic recession, but from where he was standing Sasuke Uchiha was not aware of any such decline. People would always come to a place that allowed them to forget their worries, relieve their stress, and become whatever it was that the Corporate world tried to repress.

A great deal of this success was attributed to the fact that Sasuke had dedicated the past year to his club. Every night he was here, mingling and visiting with patrons. Because of his determination and personal interactions, the Uchiha had created a crowd of regulars that showed up for every major event.

Christmas Eve was no exception. Sasuke had his bar boys dressed in sexy, holiday themed underwear, and they were walking through the crowds dispersing Christmas colored Jello shots in record quantity. The DJ for tonight's event was a new talent to arise out of the Konoha underground music scene. He called himself Sasori, a red headed exotic entity who's androgyny created as much buzz as his music remixes. If tonight panned out, Sasuke was determined to sign the man to a contract.

Looking out through the one-way window of his office to observe the dance floor, Sasuke could tell that everyone was having a great time. Thankfully his office was soundproof, because on this precise evening Sasuke was in no mood to be merry or bright. The raven stared down on his club, much in the manner that Ebenezer Scrooge must have looked upon the peasants of London, or that the Grinch might have looked down upon the Whos that populated Whoville.

This night was the anniversary of the worst night of his life. The night he lost Naruto.

No, that wasn't precisely correct. Naruto hadn't left him that night, but the events of that night had started a chain reaction that ended up destroying everything they had worked to create. Their relationship hadn't survived.

A flash of memories forced their way into Sasuke's mind: _He saw the dead, bloody corpse of Gaara Sabaku, Naruto's ex-boyfriend; then the image switched to Naruto being protected, held, comforted by Sasuke's own brother, Itachi._ Shaking his head to rid himself of the unwanted visions, Sasuke turned away from the window and walked over to his desk.

The ebony surface was covered with purchase orders, invoices, bills, credit receipts… all the papers that went into the process of running a bar. He shuffled them around, looking over them for no reason other than distract himself from the problems he refused to deal with. Sasuke refused to admit that he was in denial, mainly because there was nothing for him to deal with. He was an Uchiha; the didn't fail. Studio 69 was his crowning achievement and proof of this very important point.

Letting out a sigh, Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. His patrons were going to expect him downstairs eventually. The night was coming to a close; midnight would soon be upon them, and, while the club didn't close until four in the morning, midnight signified the start of Christmas. There would be the annual Christmas auction, where all of the Studio 69 employees were auctioned off for charity. Whoever won the bid would end up winning that particular employee for a dinner date of their choosing.

Naruto had fetched quite an impressive sum last year. The handsome blonde had incited a bidding war between Gaara and Itachi, a war which had ended up with death as is conclusion. With Gaara dead, Itachi had become the winner of Naruto's date by default, and after having saved the blonde's life… Naruto had been willing to go on that date.

All too willing.

Sasuke's jealousy and bitter resentment towards Itachi had caused an enormous fight just before New Year's Eve, which had caused the blonde to leave angry and upset… driving him directly into Itachi's arms.

Sasuke's brother was nothing if not charming, sauve, charismatic, attractive… the list went on and on and on. When Naruto had shown up distraught and angry after having fought with Sasuke, Itachi had pounced on that weakness, exploiting it in the most horrifying way possible: he had shown Naruto that someone else could take care of him, could adore him… could take him to far and exotic places.

Itachi had taken Naruto to Paris on their date. He could afford to; afterall, Itachi had been smart about his sexuality. He had stayed in their father's good graces, learning the family business, and then he inherited the company when Fugaku Uchiha had passed away from an inevitable heart attack. Sasuke on the other hand, always being stubborn and headstrong, had come out to his father, been disowned, and created a gay night club.

While Sasuke's club was the hottest spot in all of Konoha, the money he made was nothing when compared to the amount of profit that Uchiha Corp pulled in on a weekly basis. Itachi had all of that money at his finger tips, and he had used it to woo Naruto.

…and it had worked.

Naruto and Sasuke's troubles had grown larger and larger, exacerbated by Sasuke's jealousy and Naruto's willfulness. In the end, Naruto had left him, and Sasuke had thrown himself into his work. Now a year had passed, and here he was; Sasuke Uchiha was reliving every painful memory of the past year. Why? Why did his mind insist on torturing him?!

In a fit of rage, Sasuke raked his arms across the top of his desk, throwing the assortment of papers into the air. The pages exploded in a torrent, fluttering all around his office and littering his floor. Sasuke practically collapsed onto his desktop, fighting back tears as silent sobs racked his body. It had been a year now, and he hadn't cried once; he refused to cry! So what if Naruto had abandoned him? So what if Itachi had won? Itachi always won, so how was this any different?

There was a knock on his office door, which heralded the entry of Sasuke's most trusted employee: Neji Hyuga.

Neji had been with him since he'd opened Studio 69, having been Sasuke's first drag performer. Neji had been instrumental in drawing in a diverse crowd from both the gay and straight communities. Now, Sasuke had make Neji a business partner, allowing him to have an owning stake in the club. This meant that Sasuke didn't have to be here all the time; it was a move he had made in order to spend more time with Naruto… but seeing how that ended up, Sasuke still spent all his time working; it was the only thing that the raven could find to distract himself.

The brunette stepped into the office and spoke softly, "Everything okay in here?"

Sasuke fought to quickly compose himself, willing his body back into its emotionless state. "I'm fine," the raven said flatly, "What do you want?"

"The auction is about to start," Neji said, apparently not convinced. He looked around at the office, the papers scattering the floor, and raised a carefully plucked eyebrow. "You want me to take care of it?"

"No," Sasuke straightened up. "I'll do it."

The raven brushed off the front of his outfit, smoothing out the wrinkles and finally turned to look at his friend, "How do I look?"

Neji gave him an appraising glance. Sasuke was dressed in a silver vest, a bright red shirt underneath it, a black belt with a silver buckle and a matching pair of red paints and black leather shoes. All-in-all, the Uchiha was impeccable in his choice of attire, as always. "You look like the king of an empire," Neji smirked, "Go greet your subjects."

Sasuke smirked. The brunette knew him too well. By making Sasuke feel superior, Neji had managed to raise his spirits just enough. Now Sasuke was more than willing to go out and deal with the masses of people that filled his night club. Only a few more hours and this horrific day would be over, and he could get own with his life.

Time healed everything. Apparently enough time hadn't passed to heal the wound left behind in Naruto's absence… but eventually, Sasuke knew he would get over it.

[…]

The lights of the city were always so beautiful at night, and looking down at the from the penthouse windows of Uchiha Tower, Naruto was always amazed and dazzled by just how gorgeous the sight was. Thousands of buildings, lighting up the night like a tapestry of glittering diamonds and precious jewels. It was moments like these, the simple, quiete moments where Naruto felt completely at ease. It made it easier to handle the sad memories.

"Hey there, foxy," a voice said coming up behind him, "How are you holding up?"

Naruto looked over his should to see the smiling face of Itachi Uchiha, his boyfriend. He and Itachi had only been dating officially for about ten months, but they had moved in together almost immediately. It was one of those whirlwind romances that had started out so perfectly… Naruto really couldn't remember a single moment that hadn't been magnificent.

Well, the night he and Sasuke had blown up at one another. That was probably the blackest spot on their relationship.

"I'm… doing alright," Naruto confessed. "As good as can be expected."

"Are you thinking of Gaara?" Itachi wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist, placing his chin on the blonde's shoulder as he snuggled up behind Naruto, "Or Sasuke?"

"Both…" It wasn't like he could lie. Itachi had some sixth sense when it came to people lying; he could practically smell it, and it wasn't as if Naruto needed to lie. Itachi had always been understanding. Hell! Itachi had killed someone for Naruto. Who could claim that kind of love?

"Is there anything I can do?" Itachi asked. He and Naruto had just gotten back from the most perfect evening: a dinner reservation at the most exclusive of restaurants, followed by dancing in the park while a quartet of musicians serenaded them. It had been perfect, but still Naruto was sad. He would probably always be said on this day for the rest of his life. If there was one thing that made Naruto special-it was his ability to love, unconditionally, deeply, and without fail.

Naruto had loved Gaara, despite his faults, and Naruto loved Sasuke, despite his jealousy and cold demeanor. Itachi had no doubts that Naruto loved him, but deep down inside… the older Uchiha worried. He worried that Naruto would never quite get over his love for Sasuke, and if that were to happen Naruto would never fully open his heart to another person.

Itachi always had known he had a bad habit. He coveted beautiful things, and Sasuke always had a knack for finding the things in life that possessed the most beauty. Naruto was one of these things, although Itachi had come to learn that you could never possess Naruto… you could only love him and give him everything, because the blonde gave everything of himself. It was such a selfless act of love to be with Naruto.

The first moment Itachi had laid eyes upon the golden hair, the cerulean eyes, that flawless tan skin… Itachi had fallen in love. Initially it had been a joke, a ploy to goad Sasuke into getting angry; Itachi had bid on Naruto last Christmas in order to poke his brother like they had been doing for years.

No matter how intelligent he was, and no matter how much me may have planned his moves, Itachi had never seen the tragedy which had unfolded in the parking lot. Not a day went by that Itachi didn't see blood or feel the cold sweat on his palms as he pulled the trigger. While he prided himself on being pragmatic and logical, Itachi had known in the very instant that he took Gaara's life: it was an irreversible decision.

One that would haunt him until he died.

Itachi didn't care about that because he had made his decision to save Naruto's life, and in that decision Itachi had come to realize just how much he cared for this blonde, even though he knew absolutely nothing about him. Itachi swore that he would make Naruto his, no matter what he had to give up… no sacrifice would be too great.

Now, a year later, Itachi had made good on his word, and he was so hopelessly and deeply in love with Naruto that he would still do anything for him. Itachi would kill any number of people, take over any number of companies… he would even give away his entire fortune if it would make his blonde happy; however; despite his willingness, Naruto would always tell Itachi the same thing.

"Just having you here to help me through this," Naruto sighed, "That's all I need."

"Alright," Itachi sighed, nuzzling into the blonde's neck. "Then I won't let you go. You'll be stuck to me all night, until you're so tired of my affections that you'll want me to leave you alone."

Laughing lightly, Naruto spun around in Itachi's arms, placing his own around the raven's neck, playing with the dark strands of long hair that Itachi had always kept so meticulously groomed. The blonde looked up into Itachi's onyx eyes, holding the Uchiha frozen with his sapphire gaze, and he leaned in and placed a soft kiss to Itachi's lips.

It always took a remarkable amount of restraint for Itachi to not throw Naruto down and ravish him; every time he saw that majestic, beautiful tanned face… Itachi just wanted to lavish Naruto with kisses, caresses, and perform every indecent act that Naruto would allow him to. Most of the time they ended up doing just that, but tonight Itachi was trying his utmost not to. He wanted Naruto to initiate, because if Naruto initiated that would signify an incredible advancement in their relationship. It would mean that Naruto had chosen Itachi on a day that was normally reserved for Sasuke and Sasuke alone.

"Why don't we continue what you started in the park?" Naruto smiled coyly, "You know… how you told me that you were going to make this a night to remember?"

"Did I say that?" Itachi played dumb, even though Naruto wasn't buying it for a second.

"You said something about your hands being magical," the blonde's eyes spoke of many provocative ideas. He was definitely trying to seduce Itachi, and it was working.

"That does sound like me," Itachi smirked. He picked Naruto up, and the blonde wrapped his legs around Itachi's waist. They kissed again, only this time it was far from soft or chaste. Naruto kissed the raven as if his life depended on it… as if he needed Itachi just as much as he needed air to breathe. The sheer passion behind the kiss overwhelmed every last ounce of Itachi's resolve.

Without a moment's hesitation, Itachi carried Naruto into their bedroom and kicked the door closed, throwing the blond down onto the bed. This was everything he had wanted to come out of tonight, and Itachi hadn't been disappointed. Pouncing on the blond and claiming his lips again, Itachi prepared to make Naruto forget everything: Sasuke, Gaara, his worries and fears… Naruto would focus on nothing but the sheer overwhelming pleasure Itachi was going to give him.

[…]

Studio 69 was shutting down. The last call had gone out and most of the patrons had gone home.

Sasuke walked up the platinum, metallic steps which led to his second floor office, glad to be done with all the false smiling and social interaction. All he wanted to go was go home, drink himself to sleep, and wake up in the morning with this day behind him. Technically the day was already behind him, but, since he hadn't slept, Sasuke didn't count it as a new day.

Unlocking the door to his office, Sasuke pushed the door inwards and was greeted by an absolute mess. Letting out a sigh of disgust, the raven started to hate himself. How could he have sunk so low as to trash his own office, and all because of some stupid blonde who had dumped him? Sasuke shook his head in disgust and bent over to pick up some of the papers nearest the door. He was going to be here for awhile picking all these documents up.

"Need some help with that?"

Sasuke looked up from where he was and saw Neji standing in the doorway. "Hn… don't you have to lock up?"

"Kiba is taking care of it, besides, the club is practically empty." Ignoring the death glare that Sasuke was shooting him, Neji walked inside and shut the door. The brunette was no longer in drag. He was wearing a simple white t-shirt, black jeans, sneakers and his hair was pulled back in a ponytail. It was one of the only times Sasuke had ever seen Neji look like a man.

According to the Hyuga, if you were going to do drag as a profession, then that mean you spent a majority of your time dedicated to your profession. This normally meant that Neji always looked like a gorgeous woman, which Sasuke could appreciate even if it did nothing for it. The male Neji? That was something Sasuke could definitely get behind.

Smirking to himself at the crude double entendre, the Uchiha couldn't help picture his business partner in somewhat compromising positions.

"You know," Neji said knowingly, "You had your shot and completely passed it up…" Standing up with a stack of papers, he placed them on Sasuke's desk. The brunette then sat down upon the polished, black-stone workspace, "If Kiba saw you looking at me like that, he'd punch you."

"I've told you before," Sasuke smirked, "If you were a man twenty-four seven, we'd make the perfect couple."

"I happen to like what I do for a living," Neji returned the smirk.

"Then it seems like Kiba won't have to punch me," Sasuke placed his stack of papers next to the one Neji had made, and then he took a seat next to his business partner. "How are you two of you doing?"

"We just celebrated our anniversary a few months back," Neji smiled warmly, looking down at the bracelet on his wrist. It was Kiba's gift, and it was the most precious thing Neji would ever wear. He included it in everyone of his outfits when he performed. "He mentioned marriage last night. I think he was joking but… someday?"

"Hn…" Sasuke didn't believe in marriage. He might have made an exception for Naruto, but now? Sasuke didn't think he would ever give a damn about another human being ever again, especially not enough to want to spend the rest of his life with them.

"You know," Neji gave Sasuke a pointed look, "You could always call him."

"He left me!" Sasuke growled, "I wouldn't take him back if he came crawling through that door on his hands and knees."

"You see that?" Neji jabbed a manicured nail into the raven's chest. "That right there is why he left! You're such a bastard to everyone around you. If I didn't love you like family, I would have left you long ago!"

"I don't deserve you," Sasuke sighed.

"No," Neji nodded, "No, you don't, but that's the funny thing about love…" Standing up from the desk, Neji gave Sasuke a comforting hug. "You never know who is going to worm their way into your heart. That's why you have to take care of them."

"I fucked up didn't I?"

"Yep," Neji gave him a sympathetic look.

"What do I do?"

Neji shrugged, "Only you can figure that out… but the best thing you can do is take care of yourself. Everyone is worried about you. You aren't happy, and it's starting to really peek through the cracks in that mask your are wearing."

"I can't be happy," Sasuke covered his face in his hands, "I failed miserably… Uchiha's don't fail."

"Unless your father built two robots and passed them off as his children," the brunette smirked at this thought, because that was always a possibility. "You're human, Uchiha. We all screw up. Now show us that genius IQ you claim to possess, and figure out how to move on with you life."

"I think I need some time alone," Sasuke said softly.

Nodding, Neji turned and walked out of the office, shutting the door quietly behind him.

Sasuke walked over to the far side of his desk and knelt down to pick up the last few papers that were scattered about the floor. It was a nice, monotonous task which he could perform slowly. Sasuke focused purely on picking up each individual piece of paper, one at a time, counting them out slowly in his head. This way he didn't have time to think about Naruto, how it wasn't completely that idiot blonde's fault, how Sasuke had miserably allowed his own petty faults destroy the one good relationship he had ever had.

And… just like that, the raven's thoughts got the better of him.

Everything came crashing down around him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Papers completely forgotten, Sasuke fell backwards against the desk, holding a hand over his mouth, and for the first time ever… he allowed himself to cry. The tears poured down his face, and they were such a foreign sensation that Sasuke now knew that he never wanted to experience this feeling again.

There was a knock on his door, and Sasuke heard someone open it.

"I said I wanted to be alone, Neji!" he barked, doing his best to sound angry and not like he'd been crying behind his desk.

"It's not, Neji."

Sasuke's entire body jolted. He knew that voice; he would know that voice anywhere. Running a hand across his eyes, Sasuke did his best to look presentable even though it was probably a futile attempt. He stood up, straightening his appearance and turned to face the doorway. "Naruto?" he breathed, hardly able to believe that the blonde was actually standing before him.

It was the first time Sasuke had seen the blonde in eleven months, and Naruto still looked as beautiful as ever. He was dressed in a designer t-shirt, orange with an embossed golden design, and he had a black overcoat worn over it. Naruto was also wearing a pair of designer jeans, blue with a dark wash, and a pair of expensive looking black leather boots. Apparently Itachi had been taking good care of him, Naruto had never looked better.

"Hi…" the blonde said shyly. "Can I come in?"

"Hn," Sasuke motioned into his office, glad that he had managed to get all of the papers picked up.

"You okay?" Naruto looked at Sasuke closely, easily able to see that something was wrong with the younger Uchiha.

"Always," Sasuke bristled at the question, going to sit behind his desk, setting his last stack of papers down.

"You look like you've been crying," Naruto pressed, oblivious as always. He apparently couldn't see that Sasuke had no desire to talk about it.

"An Uchiha cry?" the raven scoffed, "Did you come here just to insult me?"

Naruto frowned, looking down at his feet, "No…"

Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke leaned back in his seat, "Where's Itachi?"

"He's at home," the blonde said simply.

"Does he know you're hear?"

"Of course," Naruto had a look of anger flash in his eyes. He knew what Sasuke was trying to insinuate, and he didn't like it. "He encouraged me to come here."

"That doesn't sound like my brother at all," Sasuke remarked, hardly willing to believe that Itachi would let one of his possessions wander over to chat with an ex-boyfriend.

"You'd be surprised," Naruto smiled fondly, "Itachi is a really caring person. He misses you."

"He didn't give a damn when we were children."

"People change," the blond said knowingly.

"That they do," Sasuke agreed. That was the only constant in the world: change. Things were always changing, and most of the time it was for the worse. In an attempt to look busy, Sasuke picked up the three piles of papers on his desk and stacked them on top of one another. When Naruto didn't make an attempt to speak, Sasuke finally decided to move things along, "I assume you came here for a reason?"

"I wanted to see you," Naruto whispered, not looking Sasuke in the face. "I wanted to make certain you weren't going to be alone on Christmas."

"Well, you are going to be disappointed," the raven informed, "Seeing as how I have to start preparing for New Years… I will most likely be here."

"You could always join Itachi and me," Naruto offered. "He's making a turkey and there's going to be too much food! And I think he got you a present…"

Sasuke let out a short, derisive laugh which cut Naruto off, "The last thing I want is to spend Christmas with my brother who is currently dating my ex-lover."

This comment caused Naruto to reel, jerking backwards as if Sasuke had just slapped him. "I was just…"

"Just what?!" Sasuke snapped, unable to contain all the feelings that were roiling beneath the surface of his carefully crafted make of nonchalance. "You thought we would all just sit around at a dinner table and chat about the weather? That the elephant in the room wouldn't eventually suffocate all feelings of cordiality!?"

"Why are you always such an asshole?!" Naruto bit back, clenching his fists. "Is it so hard to believe that people actually give a damn?"

"Oh, that is rich!" Sasuke stood up, leaning over the desk, "My brother steals you away from me, and I'm supposed to believe that he gives a damn?"

"He didn't steal me!" Naruto practically wailed, "You drove me away! You wouldn't talk to me, you wouldn't trust me! You just did what you always do… you locked yourself away in your office, brooding until no one could even get near you!"

"I…!" Sasuke froze. There it was: the truth. What could he say to that?

"Well at least you can realize it," Naruto sighed, turning to leave. "That's something… Goodbye, Sasuke. I hope you have a Merry Christmas."

"You think I wanted this!?" Sasuke called after him, stopping Naruto in his tracks. The raven walked out from behind his desk, "You think I like being jealous? You think I don't hate myself for what happened? Every day I think about it! If I hadn't let my jealousy get the better of me, you would have never gone out into that parking lot alone."

Sasuke felt as if his heart were going to stop beating. Everything hurt: his chest, his head, his heart; it was all so overwhelming, and Sasuke didn't know if he could take it anymore. "I keep thinking… if I had been with you. You don't know how much I wish that I had been the one to pull the trigger. You would have never had a reason to turn to Itachi." Sasuke looked down at the floor hopelessly. He wanted to make Naruto understand; Sasuke had failed the blond so badly… and he would do anything to go back and change that night.

"I didn't leave you because I felt like Itachi could protect me," Naruto said gently, walking over to Sasuke and putting a hand under his heck, forcing the raven to look him in the eyes. "I left because we weren't in a relationship at that point, Sasuke. We weren't anything. You didn't trust me, and I could communicate with you. We were killing one another."

"I didn't know what to do," Sasuke whispered, "I've never felt so helpless in my entire life. I'm not supposed to be weak…"

"Why?" Naruto looked so heartbroken. It killed him to see Sasuke like this. "What is so wrong with being weak? It just means that I would have been there to support you."

"You should have to," Sasuke said firmly, "That's my job."

"No…" Naruto smiled gently, "For a relationship to work, no part of it can be one-sided."

The raven stared intently into Naruto's eyes, trying to see if there was anything there, anything at all with which he could hope. The beautiful sapphire orbs were filled with so much concern, Sasuke felt like his heart would break if he stayed her another moment, but if he let Naruto walk out the door then his heart would surely break, and he would be in the same sorry state. There was only one thing he could do, and so Sasuke threw his logic to the wind.

He placed his hands on Naruto's cheeks and kissed him.

At first it felt like Naruto would resist him, push him away, and of course Sasuke would have deserved it, but Naruto didn't push him away. His body was tense, definitely not responding to Sasuke's lips, but then his hands were on Sasuke's shoulders and the blonde was kissing him. Naruto's body exuded warmth, and his lips were like fire! Sasuke had forgotten just how electrifying Naruto could be, and the sensations rushed through the raven like an intense firestorm of passion.

Then it was over as quickly as it had started, Naruto shoved him away and stepped back, breathing heavily. "No…" the blonde whispered, "I'm sorry, but we can't."

"I miss you…" Sasuke confessed.

"I know," Naruto smiled wistfully, tears swimming in his eyes, "I miss you too, but we can't do this. I'm with Itachi, and he loves me. He _truly_ loves me Sasuke! He trusts me, and I can't betray that trust."

"Heh," Sasuke laughed, and it was a pathetic, defeated sound, "Itachi always wins."

"It wasn't a _game_!" Naruto cried, "It wasn't a competition! You shut me out long before I left you, Sasuke! Now you want me back?" The blonde was on the verge of tears, "I have someone who is waiting for me at home, who tells me everything, whom I can tell everything. It's what _we_ should have had!"

"We can still have it!" Sasuke urged, near begging the blonde to reconsider.

Naruto shook his head, "I don't think so." He took a step backwards, "I don't think you're capable of getting over your jealousy, and I don't want to wait around for history to repeat itself."

"How do you know?" Sasuke groaned, "People change!"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, wiping his eyes, "And I really hope you do someday, but you're so angry at your brother. You act as if this is some competition that he's won, and really? Itachi just talks to me, Sasuke. I know I'll be able to go home, I'll be able to cry my heart out, and he'll be there for every minute of it… and I would do the same for him."

"Itachi doesn't cry," Sasuke said with conviction.

"You don't know your brother as well as you think," Naruto smiled sadly, turning towards the door. "I hope one day the two of you will mend whatever happened between you…" Letting out a deep sigh, Naruto walked out of the office, "Goodbye, Sasuke."

The raven just stood there, unable to speak. He couldn't call out to Naruto; he couldn't stop him from leaving. Sasuke was forced to watch Naruto walk out of his life yet again, and his heart shattered. He collapsed, clutching his chest and sobbing…. Except no sounds would leave his chest. He wasn't able to breathe; no matter how hard he tried his lungs wouldn't respond.

He felt a pair of arms surround him, and Sasuke looked up to see Neji. The brunette was kneeling beside him, hugging Sasuke tightly and whispering softly in his ear. Sasuke finally exhaled, letting out a ragged sob, "He's really gone…"

"I'm so sorry," Neji whispered, stroking Sasuke's hair. He'd never seen the Uchiha like this. Sasuke had never been one to show and ounce of emotion, but Neji had always expected that this deep sorrow lay dormant within the raven. For most people, it would have been a frightening experience, to see such a strong individual break down so completely, but Neji Hyuga understood better than most what it was like to live behind a mask.

For Sasuke to finally let that mask crumble? It was evidence that the raven was finally moving on. It was a painful and soul tearing process, but Sasuke would emerge a stronger individual for it.

"Hey, I just saw Naruto!" Kiba rushed into the room, looking down and Neji and Sasuke. His eyes widened in shock, when he finally figured out what was going on. Neji smiled at Kiba; the poor boy always was just a little slow on the uptake. "Oh… um… anything I can do?"

"Get the car?" Neji offered, "I think the boss is going to be staying with us tonight."

"No," Sasuke muttered, wiping his eyes on his sleeve, "I'm fine."

"And what? You'll go home alone?" Neji shook his head, "Don't even try to argue with me. You'll come home with us, and you'll get a good night's sleep. You may not believe me, but things will look better in the morning."

Sasuke was doubtful. At that moment, he couldn't feel anything; his entire body was numb. He'd just lost everything he'd held onto: hope. Somewhere in the far corners of his pragmatic mind, Sasuke had held onto the illogical hope that Naruto would come back to him. Now that hope was gone, and he didn't want to move. He wanted to curl up and disappear. Thankfully Neji was here, like he always was, and the brunette wouldn't let him do anything stupid.

[…]

Halfway across the city, Naruto was currently sobbing into Itachi's chest, sobbing uncontrollably. He'd told the raven everything, confessed to Sasuke kissing him. Itachi had listened quietly, heard everything that Naruto had to tell him. When the blonde had broken down into tears, Itachi just held him close, whispering softly that everything was going to be alright.

"You have nothing to worry about, Naruto…"

"I broke him," the blonde whispered, "I could tell. I saw it in his eyes."

"Sasuke's stronger than that," the older Uchiha stroked Naruto's back in gentle circles, "Trust me."

"I'm sorry…"

"Why?!" Itachi was shocked by the sudden confession.

"I shouldn't have gone…" the blonde wailed, "I ruined our evening, and it was _so_ nice."

"No… no, you could never ruin our evening," Itachi promised, "You're here with me, and we'll fall asleep together. In the morning, it will be Christmas, we'll open presents… go see your parents. I'm certain my mother will come to visit… and when New Year's gets here, I promise, you'll see just how perfect everything is going to be."

"Yeah," Naruto whispered, snuggling into Itachi's chest.

The blonde fell into a slow, rhythmic pattern of breathing, and Itachi knew that he would very soon be falling asleep. Naruto had been through so much today, and even though Itachi was here to comfort him… the raven felt powerless. The bond between Naruto and Sasuke was so strong, at times it felt unbreakable. No, here it was apparently broken, and Itachi felt like the divide between himself and Naruto was even greater. It was as if Sasuke had managed to worm his way further into the blonde's heart, and Itachi was completely defenseless against it.

Itachi felt as if he was going to lose Naruto at any moment, and that dismaying thought stabbed into his heart like a cold dagger. He lay there in bed, holding Naruto close, as if the man might disappear if Itachi were to let him go, and in the silence of that lonely night, a lone tear fell down Itachi's cheek. The older raven didn't even bother to wipe it away. When he was with Naruto, he didn't feel the need to put on a false persona; he didn't want to.

All Itachi wanted was the beautiful creature in his arms… but the only thing he could do was support Naruto. The decision was entirely in Naruto's hands, and for the moment the blond had chosen Itachi. The raven only hoped that decision would last. Itachi didn't want to think about it, but everything was changing, and he hated change. Change was always a painful process to go through, and who know what the futue had in story for their relationship.

Only time could tell, and a new year was quickly approaching.

* * *

**A/N - **

**I've been working on this one for a few weeks now. It was difficult for me, because I wasn't quite certain where these characters were leading me.**

**I know that this story is primarily SasuNaru, but after the events of Red Ribbons I knew that their relationship would struggle. Seeing as how it as been a full year since my last one-shot, I wanted to shake things up a bit. So, Itachi ended up jumping in... and his character was just... so likeable! I don't know where it came from, but I loved writing in his perspective! People my hate me for this, but, LOVE TRIANGLE AHOY!**

**I don't know when the next one-shot will be, but hopefully you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.**


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